Good News for July 27th

This week, Pope Francis made his pastoral visit to Canada. God bless a man that is 85 years old going on an extended journey to pray with and address a community that has had many challenges.

In his visit to Sacred Heart Parish in Edmonton, he came to express his shame and sorrow toward the treatment given by leadership in the church during the era of the Canada residential school system. During this visit, he shared some thought-provoking words on how to love like Christ:

“In the name of Jesus, may this never happen again in the Church. May Jesus be preached as he desires, in freedom and charity. In every crucified person whom we meet, may we see not a problem to be solved but a brother or sister to be loved, the flesh of Christ to be loved. May the Church, the Body of Christ, be a living body of reconciliation!”

May we remember our first instinct is to love.

Fr. Jeff

Ahead of the July 2023 National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC), Father Stephen Thorne, chairperson of the archdiocesan Commission on Racial Healing, will host a July 31 information session on the upcoming 13th NBCC. The Congress will be held July 20-23, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland.

The preview webinar, which is open to participants nationwide, will take place July 31 at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern time) via Zoom (meeting ID number 812 526 9359).

Archdiocese restructures Bishops’ parish responsibilities

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has realigned the episcopal regions by which its 214 parishes are organized across five counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Under the plan announced by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez July 15 and having taken effect July 1, four episcopal regions have become three. An auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia, reporting to the archbishop, is responsible for the parishes of a given region.

— Bishop John McIntyre is episcopal vicar for Region 1, which covers Chester and Delaware comprising Deaneries 1, 2, 3 and 4, totaling 66 parishes.

— Bishop Timothy Senior is episcopal vicar for Region 2, which covers South Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, Center City, Northern Liberties, Roxborough, Northwest Philadelphia and Montgomery County. It is comprised of Deaneries 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, totaling 88 parishes.

— Bishop Michael Fitzgerald is episcopal vicar for Region 3, which covers Northeast Philadelphia and Bucks County and is comprised of Deanery 10, 11 and 12, totaling 60 parishes.

In addition, Retired Bishop Edward M. Deliman has been named Vicar for Hispanic Catholics throughout the archdiocese.

Archbishop Pérez also thanked Msgr. Michael McCulken, who served as episcopal vicar for Region 2 since 2014 while also serving as pastor of St. Eleanor Parish in Collegeville, and Msgr. Daniel Kutys, who served as episcopal vicar for Region 3 since 2013 while serving as Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

“A Place At the Table: African Americans On the Path to Sainthood,” a documentary released this year by Stella Maris Films, was crowdfunded in early 2021 and covers the exceptional lives of the six venerated US Black Catholics. Simply put, the two-hour film drew me in from start to finish and touched me in a surprising way.

While we are all called to be saints, those who have lived particularly heroic and virtuous lives often enter the canonization process by way of their religious community and/or local diocese. “A Place At the Table” goes into detail on Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Servant of God Mary Lange, Venerable Henriette DeLille, Venerable Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Servant of God Thea Bowman.

https://www.blackcatholicmessenger.com/a-place-at-the-table-review/

Be sure to see this amazing film! A Place at the Table can be viewed on Formed.Org

Please pray for these six venerated US Black Catholics.

As the city of Philadelphia, our state and nation struggle with daily acts of violence, we continue to pray for peace. We pray for peace in the streets, peace in our homes, peace in our hearts. Please make a commitment to say and reflect on the Prayer of St Francis daily.

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Fr. Chris will return as Life in the Spirit Seminar keynote speaker on Friday, August 5, at 7:00 pm. Please plan to attend and welcome him.

St. Raymond School is looking for a Front Office Assistant.

• Must have Computer Skills.

• Please call the School Office for more Details. 215-548-1919

Please try to stay cool during the summer heat. Remember to check in with your neighbors, family, and friends. If there is anything that we can do for you, please let us know. Have a blessed summer!